An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot includes a controller configured to execute instructions to perform one or more operations. The one or more operations includes initiating an evacuation operation such that an air mover draws air containing debris from the cleaning robot, through an intake of the evacuation station, and through a canister of the evacuation station and such that a receptacle received by the evacuation station receives at least a portion of the debris drawn from the cleaning robot. The one or more operations includes ceasing the evacuation operation in response to a pressure value being within a range. The pressure value is determined based at least in part on data indicative of an air pressure, and the range is set based at least in part on a number of evacuation operations initiated before the evacuation operation.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the two or more sensors include first and second sensors located on opposing sides of a portion of the airflow path.
4. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the two or more sensors includes at least one sensor located within the canister.
5. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the two or more sensors includes at least one sensor located at or proximate the intake.
6. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the location of the clog or obstruction based at least in part on a comparison of one or more of the sensed air pressure indications to a threshold pressure.
7. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the location of the clog or obstruction based at least in part on a comparison of one or more of the sensed air pressure indications to a pressure range defined between a upper boundary and a lower boundary.
8. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a location of an air leak along the airflow path based at least in part on the sensed air pressure indications from the respective different locations along the airflow path during the evacuation operation.
9. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the two or more sensors include at least one pressure sensor configured to directly sense an air pressure from a location along or proximate the airflow path.
10. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the two or more sensors include at least one optical sensor or a force sensor configured to sense information indicative of an air pressure from a location along or proximate the airflow path.
11. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the two or more sensors include at least one ultrasonic sensor configured to detect a distance to a filtering device within the canister relative to the at least one ultrasonic sensor, the detected distance indicative of an air pressure from a location along or proximate the airflow path.
12. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to the air mover to initiate a clog dislodgment operation including adjusting a power level to draw air from the canister for a specific duration to unclog the evacuation station based at least in part on the determined location of the clog or obstruction.
13. The evacuation station of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal to the air mover to cease the evacuation operation and to discontinue the clog dislodgment operation in response to a presence of the clog or obstruction along the airflow path after a specific number of evacuation attempts or a specific evacuation time.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a control signal to the air mover to initiate a clog dislodgment operation including adjusting a power level to draw air from the canister for a specific duration to unclog the evacuation station based at least in part on the determined location of the clog or obstruction.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a control signal to the air mover to cease the evacuation operation and to discontinue the clog dislodgment operation in response to a presence of the clog or obstruction along the airflow path after a specific number of evacuation attempts or a specific evacuation time.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein sensing the air pressure indications from respective different locations along or proximate the airflow path includes sensing a first pressure indication using a first sensor located at a first conduit along the airflow path, and sensing a second pressure indication using a second sensor located at a different second conduit along the airflow path.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the location of the clog or obstruction is based at least in part on a comparison of one or more of the sensed air pressure indications to a threshold pressure.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the location of the clog or obstruction is based at least in part on a comparison of one or more of the sensed air pressure indications to a pressure range defined between a upper boundary and a lower boundary.
20. The method of claim 14, comprising determining a location of an air leak along the airflow path based at least in part on the sensed air pressure indications from the respective different locations along the airflow path during the evacuation operation.
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October 2, 2023
July 2, 2024
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